This marks the third time I have reviewed these guys. I appreciate their dark take on punk that flirts with deathrock. They move further in that direction on this album. The vocals are more muted and more of an angular groove forming rather than just bashing out the chords, with some reverb lacing the chords. The less refined punk elements is the factor that has kep the band hovering around an 8 every time I rate one of their albums. The first song brings more promise. The more post-punk turn on "Writing on the Wall". I had to dig back into this dive back in at 'Midnight". The vocals have improved on this album but are not the band's strength; the bass playing is.
Their drummer is also on point as the tribal beat that opens "Skyless Eyes" compensates for when the vocals kind of wander off into an Iggy Pop-like ranting, though I do like the more aggressive punk touches that come in. Their take on post-punk becomes more upbeat on "A Sunny Day". The vocals remain almost as brooding despite this. They are more powerful and less pitchy than they used to be, which aids in my enjoyment of the album. 'Even tide " has a more melancholic atmosphere to the guitars that is not unlike the Cure, though the vocals are not as introspective or emotive.
The pace picks back up for "Another Sleepless Night"; the drums and bass are locked in to bring a thundering feel behind the post-punk tension that gives a little more of a Killing Joke feel. The tones shift to a darker mood for the title track. He proves himself capable of being a more dynamic singer not only on this song, but on this album as a whole, which is the piece that needed tweaking earlier in their careers. I will give this a 9; it gets them to where they need to be and is their most enjoyable release so far.Released on Artoffact Records.
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